Computer slow...hardware...what are my options?

I've been in IT for 32 years ... and I have only 34 posts here in six months.

So how does the number of posts relate to a person's level of experience? :)

gregrocker said:

Since I stressed repeatedly that 32 bit may perform better for him with 2gb RAM, I did notice it.

When in 2009 I upgraded my Athlon x2 2gb was its max. I don't know what they can handle now because I've not kept up with them. It doesn't matter because if he could upgrade to 8gb RAM able to use all of it @ 64bit then most would be wasted when the CPU pegged out as it's about ready to do now with 2gb.

You both have great attitudes so stick around to learn with us. Even the members here who are top experts in their field are still learning.

Oh OK. I didn't really think there may have been 2GB-limited machines at the time the X2 came out. Maybe you're refering to the old AMD CPUs (the first dual-core ones, which were called Athlon 64 X2, which is not the same generation as vitaminn's CPU). I really was not looking to discredit you - that wouldn't make sense since you're obviously very knowledgeable, so I'm glad you understand too. Thanks for clarifying that I'm welcome here... I was starting to get worried. The website is great and provides a good opportunity for the community to gather. We are all here for the same purpose after all. Having said that, you did notice the fact that he's using 64-bit on 2GB RAM, but you noticed second to the now-double-the-four-posts guy haha :).

I'm not sure I understand why you are looking in the event viewer - Windows has in-built performance counters and even a benchmark which tells you which component is lacking in terms of performance dragging it down for the rest of the components. But I thought the matter was settled when we concluded it would be best that such a complex software as a security camera one should run on a separate machine.

So the Athlon X2 is the CPU. Is that upgradable? Or might I just as well get a new computer with more cores....among other things such as RAM.

Is there an easy way to know if my motherboard supports more that 2 gigs of ram? i.e. micro-ATX motherboards.

And lastly just to be clear... I am able to put 32bit OS on this computer? haha.. sorry for the ignorance.

vitaminn: You need to check the CPU's socket (do that with a program such as Speccy) on the motherboard, then look for CPUs online that are supported on that socket. You can also find out with Speccy (there other programs, just search google for "system information software") the model of your motherboard and find out more information about it online, such as how much RAM you can install on it. I'm sure it is more than 2 GB, even if the motherboard is a smaller form-factor (size) such as microATX. If the motherboard supports it, your CPU supports it as well surely, you just may find that you need more CPU performance than RAM, like graig said (he said you may find that CPU is a bottleneck performance-wise even if you upgrade RAM - he was right about everything else that he said, I have to stress that because it may seem we were not in agreement). 2GB of RAM may not be enough anymore for your current PC, so 4 GB would make the experience more decent, but it would still be slow, with that camera software running on it. Every other advice on upgrading (replacing the current computer in fact) to a better machine, I have already given you.

Yes, we advise you to replace the Windows with a 32bit one indeed if you have less than 4 GB of RAM. Consider that an optimization. The right way to run a 2 GB RAM system. But I don't think it will be a massive improvement. Just a better way. If it is too complex to install that camera software though, it is not an urgent task at all - it may not worth the trouble (all software on the PC will need to be reinstalled).

Lots of great info. Thank you both for the quick replies and information.

Time to surf and decide!

vitaminn said:

Is there an easy way to know if my motherboard supports more that 2 gigs of ram? i.e. micro-ATX motherboards.

And lastly just to be clear... I am able to put 32bit OS on this computer? haha.. sorry for the ignorance.

I gave you how to check RAM capacity and slot availability earlier, short of looking at the mobo specs which are often hard to find on OEM's like Lenovo. Crucial System Scanner software to find out what type of memory is in your computer

Use the 32 bit download and tool to burn to DVD or Flash stick from Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Iff you follow those steps you'll get and keep a perfect install.

No worries. Ask away anything you're not clear on. Anything I can answer, I'm glad to provide it.

I see that the Athlon II X2 255 CPU that you have uses AM3 socket. But if your CPU socket (on the motherboard) is AM3+, then you have upgrade options that you can find on newegg for example (that a link will take you to AM3+ CPUs). Otherwise, your upgrade options are limited (the older CPUs, for AM3 socket, are out of the market it seems and anyway wouldn't provide much of an upgrade). I still repeat, if you need to do your job and the camera software need to run separately, than it is best if they're on different computers.

EDIT: And, it wouldn't hurt to check greg's tutorials. I've checked them out and they seem pretty useful indeed. I mean, they'd probably save us all some time. Such as where to find the performance counters I was talking about, which would help you find culprits for system slow-downs.

gregrocker said:

vitaminn said:

Is there an easy way to know if my motherboard supports more that 2 gigs of ram? i.e. micro-ATX motherboards.

And lastly just to be clear... I am able to put 32bit OS on this computer? haha.. sorry for the ignorance.

I gave you how to check RAM capacity and slot availability earlier, short of looking at the mobo specs which are often hard to find on OEM's like Lenovo. Crucial System Scanner software to find out what type of memory is in your computer

Use the 32 bit download and tool to burn to DVD or Flash stick from Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Iff you follow those steps you'll get and keep a perfect install.

Just used your suggested tool.. thanks for link.

Mellon Head said:

@ vitaminn,

If you're thinking of upgrading the CPU, you should know that some OEM machines, like your Lenovo, might have the system locked to a particular type of processor. This means that you can't use a different processor in it because the BIOS doesn't support it. Some brands are apparently notorious for this, though I've never confirmed it myself.

You might be able to upgrade just fine, but check it out thoroughly. I'd hate for you to waste your money on a processor that your computer can't support.

Oh SNAP! Thanks for that info!